Preparations, mainly confectionery preparations reducing the incidence of dental caries and methods of preparing said preparations

Abstract

The invention relates to preparations, mainly confectionery preparations reducing the incidence of dental caries and to methods of preparing said preparations. The preparation contains a mixture of yeast and mono- and disacharides and polysacharide preferably in an amount corresponding at least to the partial ratio of mono- or disacharides, optionally further components conventionally used in confectionery products in the form of solid or liquid edible product.

I claim: 
     
       1. An orally administered dental composition for cleaning the teeth which is fermentable in the mouth to form alcohol and carbon dioxide from all saccharides present, to protect the teeth against dental caries, which consists essentially of: (a) 5 to 20% by weight of dried yeast;   (b) 7 to 50% by weight of a monosaccharide or a disaccharide; and   (c) 7 to 50% by weight of a polysaccharide; wherein the dried yeast ferments all saccharides present into alcohol and carbon dioxide thereby preventing conversion of the saccharides into lactic acid.   
     
     
       2. The composition defined in claim 1 wherein the dried yeast belongs to the Saccharomyces strain. 
     
     
       3. The composition defined in claim 1 wherein the polysaccharide is starch, cellulose, inulin, pentosan, or a dextran-containing material. 
     
     
       4. The composition defined in claim 1 wherein the polysaccharide is whole wheat flour, barley flour, rye flour, oat flour, maize flour, soybean flour, a grist of the seeds or tubers of other plants, ground peanut, cocoa, soya, or dried fruit of Jerusalem artichoke, hip, fruit or vegetables or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
       5. The composition defined in claim 4 in the form of a confectionery product. 
     
     
       6. The composition defined in claim 1 in the form of chewable capsules, tablets, dragees, chewing gum, extruded maize, nougat, wafer, parfait or pudding. 
     
     
       7. The composition defined in claim 1 wherein the disaccharide is not sugar. 
     
     
       8. A method of protecting the teeth against dental caries in children or adults in need of said treatment which comprises the steps of: (a) orally administering to said children or adults a therapeutically effective amount of an orally administered dental composition for cleaning the teeth which is fermentable in the mouth to form carbon dioxide and alcohol, which consists essentially of: (i) 5 to 20% by weight of dried yeast;   (ii) 7 to 50% by weight of a monosaccharide or a disaccharide; and   (iii) 7 to 50% by weight of a polysaccharide; and     (b) allowing the dried yeast to ferment all saccharides present in the mouth into alcohol and carbon dioxide thereby preventing conversion of said saccharides into lactic acid.